What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 10, 2023: A few playoff spots still hang in the balance

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | 11:55 PM

The 2023 WPIAL baseball playoff field is nearly set. The only section still undetermined is Section 4-3A.

We know Yough is the section champion and Greensburg Salem will finish second.

The fight for third place and fourth place is up in the air.

Waynesburg is 5-4, Mt. Pleasant is 5-5 and McGuffey is 5-6.

At least some clarification should come Wednesday at Meadowlark Field in Waynesburg when the Raiders and Vikings collide in a doubleheader.

Win, lose or draw, Waynesburg will then wrap up the regular season when it hosts McGuffey on Thursday.

Last day of the regular season

There are two playoff berths up for grab on the final day of the district softball regular season.

In Class 6A, Canon-McMillan visits Baldwin. Both teams already know their fate as Canon-McMillan clinched Tuesday with a win over Butler and Baldwin has been eliminated from the postseason chase.

However, Mt. Lebanon will be a very interested spectator. If the Big Macs win, the Blue Devils are out. If the Highlanders win, the Blue Devils clinch.

The other spot is in Section 3-2A as Bentworth visits Beth-Center.

If the visiting Bearcats win, they are playoff bound. If the Bulldogs play the role of spoiler and are victorious, Bentworth will join Beth-Center as postseason spectators.

Love is gold

The 2023 WPIAL boys team tennis championships are set for Wednesday at the Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center at Washington & Jefferson College.

In the Class 2A championship match at 2 p.m., No. 1 Sewickley Academy will battle the surprise of the bracket, No. 6 Winchester Thurston.

In the Class 3A finals at 3:30 p.m., No. 1 North Allegheny squares off against No. 3 Gateway.

Sewickley Academy is trying to win a record 24th WPIAL boys team tennis crown, but this would be the first title for the Panthers since 2018.

North Allegheny first won WPIAL tennis gold 30 years ago in 1993. The Tigers won three other times, in 2000, 2001 and 2009.

Gateway and Winchester Thurston are trying to win their first WPIAL team tennis crowns.